There are many dogs that pull very strongly for various reasons when walked, and owners that frequently struggle to gain control. At times this results in various injuries or owners giving up their otherwise likable dogs. Even medium sized dogs can produce a strong pulling force that can overwhelm children and adults that are not a matching size, weight, or strength. This is not a new problem and various methods have been used to address the challenge.
To prevent the leash from breaking, leashes have been produced in which the material is stronger, such as doubling the thickness of nylon webbing or using leather instead of nylon. These solutions prevent the strong dog from breaking the material but do not address the issue of easier control.
One method of control includes using a choke collar. As the name implies, when the leash is pulled, the collar chokes the dog and the dog stops pulling in order to reduce the sensation. Choke collars can include chain, leather, and various spiked materials. Many owners feel this is harmful to the dog and do not consider it an option.
Some solutions use a harness instead of a collar on the dog. The leash used is the same but the harness is a series of straps that result in pulling the dog from underneath instead of on top. This does reduce the pulling since dogs respond quicker. The challenge with these harnesses is the difficulty in putting on a complex series of straps and buckles each time the owner wants to use it. They also stretch out with time. Harness type products are where most of the commercial efforts have been made to reduce dogs from excessive pulling.
Retractable leashes designed for larger dogs are another option. These have a heavier duty mechanism for the larger breeds but do not reduce the excessive pulling and will not retract under force. The mechanism will also break since the line or webbing has to be thin enough to retract and can foul the inner workings.
Other solutions include additional hand loops for shorter grabs on the leash, various ways to create a spring type leash where a device can expand and pull back, or leashes that are designed for active children, which may include a harness. There are also leashes with a simple attachment to the waist. None of these solutions are a practical and consistent method to control a dog under a variety of conditions with minimal impact to the dog or human.
Training a dog not to pull at all is one of the best solutions; however, many owners do not spend the time or money necessary to train and see significant results.
The traditional, simple, well-known type of leash is made either of nylon webbing usually one-inch diameter or leather with a loop at one end and a clip on the other. If the user holds the loop like a handle and there is a strong pulling force, much of the force is being held only by the fingers. It is recommended that a user put his/her hand through the loop and grip the leash. That transfers most of the force to the back of the hand and the wrist, followed by a much lesser extent, the arm and shoulder. This method of holding the leash does not give sufficient control over a strong pulling dog. Injuries to the wrist, dislocations of the shoulder and falls resulting in injury have been known to occur.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to use a person's natural body mechanics to maximize the human pulling force on any animal. The present invention accomplishes this by using a different method of design and attachment of the leash to the human body.